Govt scraps BRB Canal coal power plant

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday disposed of various petitions against the coal power plant that was to be set up near the BRB Canal after the Punjab government told it that it had dropped the project.

On an query, Additional Advocate General Shan Gull told the court that the government had scrapped this project and a notification about it would be issued soon. Disposing off the petitions the court observed that the government should discuss merits and demerits before initiating any project to save public money. Residents of the area and Lahore Press Club had challenged the project. The petitioners’ counsel submitted that on June 10, 2015, the Punjab government had acquired 1,188 kanals and 5 marlas of land in Moza Khaira and Sultan Pura to established a small coal power project.

He said that the provincial government had established a company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan in the name of Punjab Power Development Limited with the aim to develop power projects with public-private partnership and to arrange funding through loan negotiation and joint venture. He submitted that there was no justification for the project, as coal power projects were being abandoned across the world because of their adverse impact on the environment.